New Insights into Pervaporation Mass Transport under Increasing Downstream Pressure Conditions: Critical Role of Inert Gas Entrance

The influence of the total downstream pressure on the pervaporation flux of a pure compound through a dense polymer membrane has been the subject to controversial debates recently. Experimental arguments in favor of either the solution−diffusion model or the newly proposed pore-flow model are alternatively reported on different systems. To critically reexamine this debate, an experimental study under controlled downstream conditions has been performed for pure methanol and pure 2-propanol pervaporation through a poly(dimethylsiloxane) film, the latter having been previously reported to follow pore-flow model predictions. It is shown that a rational analysis of the effects of the downstream pressure on the results can be achieved according to the classical solution−diffusion model, provided that the influence of air leaks in the installation is properly taken into account. Based on this observation, the implications of an inert gas contribution, generally speaking, on pervaporation operation are discussed.